The Europa Conference League, the tournament where anything and everything is possible, had a tremendous evening with the second leg of the quarter-finals.
Here are the best moments from the latest matchday.
The Hammers are into the semis
After playing in the Europa League semi-finals last year, West Ham United clinched another semi-final spot.
The first leg against Gent had ended in a 1-1 draw.
Hugo Cuypers, who equalized for the Belgians last week, scored first, to give the Belgian side the advantage.
But West Ham took back control with two goals from Michail Antonio, one from Declan Rice, and a penalty from Lucas Paqueta.
It was a dominant 4-1 win on the night, and ended 5-2 on aggregate.
West Ham in dreamland! 😍
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) April 20, 2023
Paquetá 🤝 Aguerd 🕺#UECL pic.twitter.com/inT1rV8LFU
AZ won the derby
Anderlecht won 2-0 in the first leg against AZ, and they could feel that the semi-finals were closer than ever.
But AZ’s Vangelis Pavlidis made the second leg completely different.
He scored a penalty after just five minutes, and added another goal to his tally less than 10 minutes later.
Anderlecht were in a state of shock, and couldn’t find the net.
In the end, the match was decided by penaltiesx and AZ won 4-1 - the Belgians missed twice before 19-year-old Mexx Meerdink scored the decider.
AZ will play in a European semi-final for the third time in their history, and their first since 2005.
💯 𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏#AZ | @MatyRyan 🤝 @MilosKerkez5 pic.twitter.com/36LnkdQSie
— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) April 21, 2023
Fiorentina saved in Lech’s farewell
Fiorentina won 4-1 in the first leg against Lech Poznan, a result that was supposed to make the second leg in Florence easier, but Lech didn’t give up.
In an amazing performance, Afonso Sousa, Kristoffer Velde and Artur Sobiech scored for the Poles, equalizing the aggregate score.
Fiorentina had just 20 minutes to take back their lead.
With just ten minutes left on the clock, Riccardo Sottil scored for Fiorentina, and Gaetano Castrovilli scored another in added time.
Although Fiorentina lost 3-2 on the night, they have made it to the semi-finals.
Lech Poznan, though, completed a tremendous journey in this year’s Conference League, and will hope for another great campaign next year.
🔵 A journey to be proud of 👏👏#UECL || @LechPoznan pic.twitter.com/RdpNtV8Uds
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) April 21, 2023
Basel love to tie
Basel arrived at their game against Nice tied, 2-2.
The Swiss side had to overcome a challenge though, as their fans were not allowed to travel to France.
And it showed from the start, with Nice taking the lead.
With less than five minutes to go in the second half, however, Basel managed to pull back an equalizer, something they have done so many times already this season.
That goal took the game to extra time, where Kasim Nuhu scored the winner for Basel.
Out of the 12 matches they’ve played in the tournament this season, six were tied after 90 minutes.
But clearly that hasn’t impacted the Swiss side, who celebrate their first semi-final appearance since in the 2013 Europa League.
Edited by Alex Smith
Sensational from Nuhu! 😮#UECL https://t.co/OJKMpT2jCO pic.twitter.com/lmCYG0LntN
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) April 20, 2023
Aston Villa saw off Lille, while Olympiakos got Fenerbahçe in trouble. Yossi Medina and Eden Roitfarb recapped all the Conference League quarter-final first-leg action.
The Conference League round of 16 has been concluded, with a shocking exit for Maccabi Tel Aviv, a respectful performance by Maccabi Haifa and a series of massive results elsewhere on the continent.
For the first time since Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinian club football returns this weekend as 226 teams compete across three war-scarred regions.
After nine years at Liverpool, Salah left for Trabzonspor — the money, the family, and the love of being the underdog all played their part.
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 World Cup Final, ending Lionel Messi's dream World Cup with heartbreak.
Thousands of Argentina fans transformed Times Square before the 2026 World Cup final, all united to thank Lionel Messi.
Spain were ruthless in Dallas as Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo starred, leaving France's Bastille Day to end in deep disappointment for Deschamps.
Norway outplayed England for most of a sweltering Miami classic, but two Bellingham strikes in extra time sent the Three Lions to the semis.
Egypt pushed Argentina to the limit in a 3-2 World Cup thriller, but left the pitch furious at the referee and convinced justice was denied.
Ayoub Bouaddi chose Morocco over France at 18 and lit up a quarter-final about colonial history, dual identity, and what it means to belong.
Merino's late goal gave Spain a 1-0 win over Portugal as Ronaldo left the World Cup stage in tears in what many believe was his final match.
Egypt beat Australia on penalties in Dallas to reach the last 16 for the first time, with Salah's Panenka the highlight of a historic night.
Diop headed Morocco level in the 91st minute and Saibari slotted the winner in the shootout as Morocco reached the World Cup quarter-finals.
Messi and the Jordanian Messi both scored as Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 in Arlington, with records broken and keffiyehs flying in the stands.
France beat Iraq 3-0 in Philadelphia, but the two-hour lightning delay stole the show, making it officially the longest World Cup game ever.
Saibari scored inside two minutes as Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 in Boston, leaving the Scots on the very brink of 2026 World Cup elimination.
Senegal relived their legendary 2002 magic for an hour, but Kylian Mbappe struck twice to sink them and seal France's 3-1 win in New Jersey.
Qatar stole a last-gasp draw from Switzerland and Morocco held Brazil 1-1 — two results that announced Arab football’s full arrival at 2026.
Azteca stadium hosts its third World Cup as Mexico City buzzes with pride, protest, and the deep belief that football has always lived here.
Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig to win the Conference League in the most romantic underdog final in European football history.
Maccabi Tel Aviv edge Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2–1 in a dramatic Israeli Cup Final at Teddy Stadium, denying the champions a historic Double.
With tensions easing, Iran’s 2026 World Cup participation remains uncertain, as FIFA, politics, and regional dynamics collide.
CAF shocks African football by stripping Senegal’s title and awarding Morocco the AFCON crown after a chaotic final decision.
From silent protests to daring escapes, Iran’s women footballers turned a tournament into a global story of courage, politics, and survival.
Iran’s women’s team protested, faced threats, and signaled SOS in Australia—now their fate is uncertain amid calls for asylum.
From geopolitics to spectacle, Trump looms over World Cup 2026—reshaping football, power, and culture in the biggest tournament ever.
FIFA joins Gaza rebuilding plans, restoring stadiums, pitches, and youth programs, supporting football and hope in the Strip.
From Nigeria’s Mavlon academy to Viktoria Plzeň and the Europa League dream: Salim Fago’s journey is just beginning in Europe.
From Benzema’s shock move to Ronaldo’s protest, a chain reaction in Saudi football is shaking the entire project and the global game.
A Hitchcock-style AFCON final in Rabat saw chaos, controversy and brilliance as Senegal stunned Morocco to claim their second African title.
From libraries to stadiums, Morocco lives football. As AFCON 2025 nears its climax, passion, politics, and ambition collide nationwide.
Conference League's final draws near, and four teams are poised for Athens on May 29. Olympiacos dazzled Villa Park, while Fiorentina secured a narrow lead.